Cap applying machine



Nov. 3G, 1948. c. w. GooDwlN ETAL 2,455,245

l AP APPLYING MACHINE Filed May 15, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 3o, 12948.

c. w.- GOODWIN ETAL CAP APRLYING MACHINE -sheets-sheet Filed May 15, 1946 INVENTORS "af Nov. 230, 1948. c. w. GOODWIN ET AL CAP l-APPLYING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 15, 1946 "lrllllll IN VENTORS M/ufooaw//v (ARL HA/QOO AT-rpRNEY Nov. 30, 1948. c. GooDwlN ET AL CAP APPLYING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4A.

F1166. May 15, 1946 Hound..

f I ,'INVENTORS CA/z MK @aow/N HAM/ .0 MK MART/N C. W. GOODWIN ET AL Nov. so, 194.8.

CAP APPLYING MACHINE 5 She'eCS-Sheet 5 YFiled May' 15, 194e Y my ww...

5 W9 www 4 5 mM e h a, M a 5 m mmm 4, z mem d \`\\\h\`\\""\\m T Patented Nov. 30, i948 CAP APPLYING MACHINE Carl W. Goodwin, PlainfieldN. J., and Harold W. Martin, Malverne, N. Y., assignors to American Seal-Kap Corporation of Delaware, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application May 15, 1946, Serial No. 669,932y

1 Claim. l

This invention relates generally to machines Vofthe type shown in the patent to Goodwin et al. No. 2,325,163, for applying iiexible skirted hood caps about the mouths of milk bottles.

,Y Cap applying machines of this type are used in conjunction with standard bottle lling and Acapping machines of the rotary type. These nlling machines generally comprise a continuously rotating table and a bowl or container thereabove which rotates in. unison with the table. The table has a plurality of stools, arranged in a circle, which are raised and lowered as the table rotates. Directly above each stool is a iilling valve which projects down from the underside of the bowl. Empty bottles are fed by a suitable conveyor onto the stools in alignment with the valves `thereabove. As the bottles are carried around upon Athe stools the stools are elevated, by suitable mechanism, which raises the bottles up into contact with the valves with the nozzles of the valves extending into the mouths of the bottles. When the bottles come into contact with the valves they open the valves allowing milk to rlow from the bowl into the bottles. After the bottles have been carried around for a predetermined distance they are lowered and the filled bottles are then transferred from the filling section of the machine into the capping section where suitable caps are secured into and about the mouths of the bottles.

Standard filling and capping machines oi this type are all constructed so that they may be adjusted to fill and cap diiierent size bottles, such as quarts, pints and half pints. In smaller dairies the same machine is used to :lill the diierent size bottles, which necessitates the adjusting of the machine after one size of bottles has been filled before it can be used to fill bottles of another size. Also, in dairies it is the general practice today to apply hood caps to bottles containing certain vgrades of milk and to apply plug caps to bottles containing other grades of milk. This practice also requires certain adjustments as the filling and capping machine is switched from one grade of milk to another.

y When hood caps are used on bottles, the hood caps, after having been properly conditioned for application, are loosely applied to the mouths of the bottles as they are transferred from the lling section to the capping section. In the capping section the loosely applied caps are rmly secured in and about the mouths of the bottles.

The aforesaid Goodwin et al. Patent No. 2,325,- 163 relates to a machine for conditioning skirted hood caps and loosely applying them to the mouths of bottles as they are transferred from the lling section to the capping section of the filling and capping machine.l This machine must alsobe adjusted in conjunction with any change in the adjustment of the filling and capping machine as it is switched from one size bottle to another; and when hood caps yare not used on the bottles, this machine must be moved out of operative relation with the filling and capping machine.

Our invention is an improvement of the machine disc'losed'in the Goodwin et al. patent and relates specifically to the .mechanism for supporting the machine in operative relation toa capping and lling machine. v

The principal object of our invention is to provide in a machine of this character means Whereby it may be quickly and easily adjusted to conform to any change in the adjustment of the iilling and capping machine with which it is associated.

Another object of our invention is to provide in a machine ofthis character means through which it may be quickly and easily `moved into and out of operative relation to a filling and capping machine as the filling and capping machine is switched from one grade of l'milk to another.

Qther and more limited objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specication and the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof wherein:

l Fig. 1 is a plan view showing our improved hood rcap conditioning and dispensing machine operatively associated with a standard filling and capping machine;

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of `our improved cap conditioning and applying machine, looking from the position indicated by the line 2-2 on Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a front elevation of our improved machine, on a'slightly larger scale than the scale of Fig. 2, looking from the position indicated by the line 3-3 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig 5 is a central vertical section taken on the line5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the vdrawings by reference characters the numeral Iindicates generally our improved cap conditioning and applying machine which is shown, in Fig. 1, operatively associated with a standard rotary filling and capping machine having a bottle filling section 2 and a capping section 3. The filling -section generally comprises a rotating table il having a plurality of bottle supporting and elevating stools 5 arranged in a circle thereon, and a iilling -bowl 6 which is disposed above the `table 4 and rotates in unison therewith. The capping section 3 generally consists of a plurality of bottles supporting and elevating stools 1, which are arranged to be moved in a circular path, and a plurality of capping heads 8 disposed above the stools in alignment therewith and arranged to move in unison with the stols' 1; l i l Empty bottles 9 areed by a suitable conveyor l to a star wheel ll which transfers the bottles from the conveyor Ill onto the stools 5. As the bottles are carried around on the stool-s-they are elevated into engagement with valves projecting down from the underside :of *the bowl 1l vthrough which they are filled withmilkffrom the-bowlf. After the bottles have ben"`ll'ed"theyare'lowered and transferred by a star wheel l2"from"'the stools 5 onto the stools l beneath .theicapping heads 8. As the filled bottles are being transerred from the stools 5 to the stools 1, they pass ,a cap applying station i3 Where properly conditiondhoodcaps'iAraieloosly applied to the fnouths'thereof. `In the cappingsection v3-the tbo'ttlesarecarrie'd arolmdina circularf'path upon thefsto'lsil,"anaszthey arebBing carried around Y'thzjyare elevated i'ntb thei capping heads 8 which `frlxnl-y secure`-the caps l 4in 'and about the 'bottle inrouths, trthe'capsfhave been securedin placethebottiesffareitransferred'by a star Wheel f'lrom theisitpols "1"lca^ck"^onto the conveyor l0. "Tlie'cap Iconditioning"and'dispensing mecha- 'nism'fisjallfmountedi'upon'aplate i6, and since is substantially itlie same-as themechanism disclosed in the aforesaidlGo'ddwn'et `al.'patent it prisesigenera11yaeen magazine 1, e' discharge hu'te l,a"cappi'cker.mechanism `ISl and a condi'tiol'iri .halbrZ'O'fwhichterrnnates at the cap applying'station. 'The'inagazine consists of a plurality,.oftubesll in Whichnested stacks 'oi "eepsiereplacec @The tubesizl are .successively finogrit finto register with. the discharge chute ji'fdwn'whichthe caps slide Qfrom the tuhes`2l. As' the"'bottls areu being carried .around on the 'stools'55,tl`1'e`y 'a'."cz'tuate an. arm '22 vwhich momentarily closes a'switchl'23; The closing of the switch v23Jer-ierg`izes asolenoidlZ- .whichoperates .a-o'nelrevlution.,lutchLto connect the driving mechanism the cap pickerfltoaffconstantly.ro- .tatingmotor;` 25. The .-capl.picker then with draws.theirsrernost".capfrom.thedischarge chute [San'd depositslit Qin "the .conditioning lchamber 2U. -The lcaps are conveyed through-thecondi tioningfchamber, by. suitable -zrnechanisrrnv :and are1 discharged :therefrom rito the cap --applying stations! 3.-in ,thepathfotthe rillled bottles--asthey Aare being transferred Afrom the illing Vsection 2 jto thecapping section 3 of-'thevl-lingand capping Vrnachine. As'jfthe seaps Vrare .being Yconveyed through the conditioning chamberfZ-', theyfare A.properly conditioned for application to 'the mouths of the bottles.

VThe'plate rl6-s fslidably mounted as indicated at 26 upon the upper surfacefo a-.gearI case-21 `which isf securedsto upper@ end "of a vertically extensible 'and vcontractablepcdestalgenerally indicated by: thecn-umeral i228; .l'ArackfZS which is securedfto the'I underside. othe plate v`I 6 meshes with-fasgear13lliwithinthe'fcase 21. The gear'3 `isukeyed vto a shaft f3 I rotatably-supported lby suit- -able'1b`earin'gs'f32fmountedin thefside fwalls of the getrcas'eE 21. "lThe'fs'ha'ftGl arid the :gear-3i! there- 'on are adaptedto be rotated by ka crank 33which 'is 'removablysecuredfl to the-projecting endof'the shaft-c3 :.Rotationrefftnefshaftial"ovini mevezthe '4 plate I6, and the mechanism secured thereto, back and forth upon the gear case 2l. A removable plate 34 closes the upper end of the gear case 21.

The pedestal 28 has a base 35 which is sup ported by adjustable legs 36. The base 35 is lmade-"rif eastfiron andlsso'fproportioned as to weight `ar1`d.size-'that allldanger o'f "thefapparatus tipping over is obviated, regardless of the adjustment thereof. A centrally disposed sleeve, having `a -verticalbore 3l therein, is cast integrally with the base 35 and extends upwardly and downwardlyrom the top wall of the base as indicated Aatf3-iwand338. A-ftube 40 is slidably mounted in the' bore-37 and'isprevented from turning therein Jby `cooperating'keys and keyways 4l and 42 re- -spectively Acylindrical boss 43 which is secured to the underside of the gear case 21 projects downwardlytherefrom into the upper end of the tube 43 and is securely fastened therein. A vertical cifra'."ft'flill' islfrtatablylsupported i in an Eaxial bore b5 Vin the bossby-bearingw. The upper fendof -the-sliaft-'M1 extends into thegea'r case'l andhas a bevel gear sfit-I -keyed thereon. 'The gear f1 lmesh'es'withf' a'bevel gear 48 which is -keyed to -`'the innererrdfofa sha'itl -which isfrot'atably sup- 'poi'tedils'y beaiingsilanil lsuitablyfmounte'd in Vtlfrefgearfcase 21. crankSZfis removablylsecured tofthe outcry-end fftheshati-ES. The loweren'd df-thefshaftfd'd isi threaded ias indicated at' 53 'and vextendsfthroughlanizilllvizhichis `rigidly secured nppfe're'nd of l1a-"mer'riber'f55. "-The member-55 osed' within fthe lower-end fof the bore 331 rigidlyfsecuredratits lower hanged end'f56 `to thefldcase 35 by fstu'ds uThe vvllase -`"35 is strengthened by ribsf58 and thelower end thereof -lisclosed'lbyremovable' plates 739 and 60. A tele'- lscoping shieldl'composdfoi' upper and' lower sections'landililrsurrourrds theV projecting end of thetubei-l fand? the vupper ferfd 3 8 r'of 'the base sleeve. fhe'shaftwms rotatedby the crank-T52 through the shaftf-Q landt 'ebvel-'gears "48 and 41. Rotation fofl'trlles'l-iaf-tl the `Anut 'will vertically-extend ori'retraet the-pedestalf'depending on thedirec- 'tion frrotationfof 'thefshaft-WL as is clearly apparntin Fig. `--`\ertic2`il adjustment lof the `Lpedestal 28' will raisefor lower-the-cap dispensing 'anjdconditioning apparatussupporte'd thereon.

`When`fthe1adjustment or the "llin'g and capping 4rn-achine is hangedto-acccmmodate it to different siz'efbottlesjthe capcl-is'pensingfand conditioning appar'a'tuscan *ce correspondingly adjusted quickly fand# easilyby merely turning the shaf t 49 in vthe properdirection bythe fc'rank52; and the cap disfpensin grand v`conditioning apparatus 'can be quickly anizlfeasily moved into and outof proper operative relation wit'hith'e'f filling land l car'ping machine by Vrotating the --shaft"`3l `in the proper :direction by fthe crankin.

Frome-trienio! egoing' it lWillbeapparentto those Lskill'e'dirr this ar'tthatwe have provided'a simple andieiciientappa-ratos for accomplishing the'obijects' f E'our-"invention and' it :is to be understood that we are not limited to thespeci'c'construcf`-tion-shownearid-described hereinas various modincaft'ionsmay'hemade thereto Within the 'scopeof thev append-ed claim.

eliu-bottle"'capping machine comprising .ta base, a 1'vertical Xtbore in1sal'd"base, ia tube YIslidably keyed in said bor'eg-aigear -case Ksecured vto the upperend osaid tube;a,plateslidably'mounted"on said'gear "case," afcooperatirrg rack"'andpinion formoving 'r'saiblplatdbaclrand forth-'on `said -gear`case,1 a 'cap dispensing 'and "conditioning mechanism carried REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Brinton Dec. 8, 1942 Boettcher Aug. 12, 1944 

